


we can move worlds again (like the way gold lasts forever)

by amaltheaz



Category: Supergirl (TV 2015)
Genre: Adventures In Space, Alternative Universe - The Mummy, F/F, Romance, alternative universe, is space alien redundant, oh well, space alien mummies, wlw
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-08-25
Updated: 2017-08-25
Packaged: 2018-12-19 15:14:41
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,342
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11900403
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/amaltheaz/pseuds/amaltheaz
Summary: "The first time they meet, Kara Zor-El is in prison and in line for execution that very same day."aka the mummy au nobody asked forInspired by the fanart in this post: foleypdx.tumblr.com/post/155613882562/luthoring-the-mummy-supercorp-au-lena-in-this





	we can move worlds again (like the way gold lasts forever)

**Author's Note:**

> I shouldn't be working on a new story when I literally have one chapter left of pick a blossom but this one just wouldn't leave me alone and then my wife got involved and I still have absolutely no idea how to say no to her so... here is an au based on The Mummy with our favourite two ladies and space alien mummies!  
> I don't plan for this to be very long, at most three chapters?? Fingers crossed!
> 
> And I just want y'all to remember that the A-plot to this story is the romance and not the mummies because while I will do my best, I'm very much sticking to the B-movie feel here. It's all about having fun here.

The first time they meet, Kara Zor-El is in prison and in line for execution that very same day. 

Lena can't really say she’s particularly impressed by the looks of her. Sand litters the alien’s skin making her look even rougher to the touch and Lena winces at the thought of it. Kara Zor-El’s hair is a ridiculous mess of frizzy curls, most likely a result of the humidity of the desert. But Lena’s here for a very good reason, a  _ very _ good reason and she can't waver just because the person who apparently has the answers she’s looking for, looks like she needs a more than thorough hosing down before she should  _ ever _ be allowed out in public. 

Sweat is trickling down her back and okay, so maybe Lena is a little nervous but if this pans out, well, then she is one step away from being acknowledged by the Metropolis University scholars and maybe even  _ accepted _ by them. Just  _ one _ step. 

There are two pair of eyes on her and it's annoying because she knows that the ones behind her are judging her just a little bit. And honestly, he has no right to be judgemental considering they're here because of him. She’s still not exactly sure how Winn knows this woman, this  _ alien _ . When he first showed her that alien communicator to her, she thought it was just another false trinket. 

Mr. J’onzz was only too glad to let her take the leave of absence after she might have possibly caused a minor explosion in the lab, which was  _ totally _ an accident. And it was a  _ minor _ explosion. Honestly, she doesn't understand why he threw such a gasket about it. Out of all the explosions she has caused in the lab, this was absolutely the  _ tiniest _ one. 

\---

_ Destruction is all around her. Sparks are still flying from the overcharged wires hanging over charred work tables. Smoke fills the air now that the fire has been extinguished by the sprinklers. Dread bubbles in her stomach at the sight. _

_ “Whoops.” _

_ She turns at the sound of furniture being stumbled over, of loud cursing and she sees Mr. J’onzz making his way over. Oh, and there's that dread again. Lena fiddles with the knot on her tie, loosening it from her collar as she rushes towards him, raising her arms up to halt his movements. “Mr. J’onzz, I can explain-” _

_ “Let me guess,” the older man lets out a tired sigh, one that speaks volumes of having been in this exact situation many times before. He raises a hand to rub at his temples, as if trying to work away a potential headache, “something went wrong, you tried to fix it but then  _ that _ went wrong and then you tried to fix that and now we have  _ this _.” _

_ “Uh, yes?” she ventures with a nervous grin. _

_ She’s not sure how it's possible but Mr. J’onzz’s scowl deepens further and Lena’s trying to remember if Green Martians have the ability to shoot laser beams with their eyes. She’s 99% sure that they can't but that insurmountable remaining 1% makes her take a step back. Just in case.  _

_ “Miss Luthor,” Mr. J’onzz pauses to take a deep breath, allowing his scowl to soften ever so slightly. The tenseness in his shoulders relaxes and she almost breathes out a sigh of relief. “You know that the only reason I put up with you because your father is our biggest sponsor-” _

_ She knows that she really shouldn't interrupt him but still, Lena can't help but defend herself. “I am also the only person in the country who is currently the only expert on extraterrestrials and their technologies, and also the  _ only _ human who has been able to decipher most of their written languages. At least, of aliens that have been encountered by us anyway,” she finishes listing her qualifications with a firm nod before her shoulders slump and she softens her tone, almost apologetic in a way. “And also, Mr. J’onzz please, I’ve asked you not to call me by that name more times than I can count.” _

_ He gives her a dismissive wave. “Yes well, maybe I should have hired  _ actual _ aliens. They’d cause much less havoc than you have in the past three years you’ve worked for us in this lab.”  _

\---

Kara Zor-El’s eyes have been rapt on her since she walked through the door. The Human-Alien Treaty was only signed by all leaders of the free world and put into effect six months ago but Lena doesn't really get much of a chance to interact with people outside of her lab, let alone with  _ aliens _ , so it’s still a point of fascination for her. She has spent nearly all her adult life reading about them and learning them, that it's almost difficult to connect to the idea that Kara Zor-El is an actual alien, especially when she looks so much like any other human. 

And yet, there is something so otherworldly about her that Lena  _ just _ can't quite pinpoint. 

The communicator sits in the bottom of her backpack but somehow she still feels its weight, its presence. Her curiosity makes it heavy and she fiddles with the straps of her bag to alleviate the burden of it. She shifts her feet, letting out a slight huff at her awkwardness as Winn moves closer to speak to the alien, his eyes betraying the nervous energy that lies beneath. She feels relief when the blonde’s eyes turn away from her to follow his movements. 

“Miss Zor-El, I’m not sure if you remember me-”

“I remember you, Mr. Schott.” The alien’s face transforms into a threatening sneer, baring her teeth and it worries Lena that whatever relationship is between them is truly not a friendly one, at least, not from Miss Zor-El’s point of view. The blonde gestures towards her in such a dismissive way that makes it difficult to restrain her scowl. “Who’s  _ she _ ?”

Winn looks back at her over his shoulder, a sheepish, apologetic grin on his handsome face. From the way that he quickly turns back to meet the alien’s eyes, she knows that she’s unsuccessful in holding back her indignant glare. “Oh, yes well, this is my best friend, Lena.  _ She _ wants to ask you about that um, that communicator.” 

The alien’s eyes are back on her and Lena almost takes a step back from the scrutinizing glare. There's a beat that passes, and then another, and another. Lena does her best to meet Kara Zor-El’s gaze with her own, willing herself to not show any kind of reaction despite feeling the heated stare moving all over her. 

She thinks that the alien is even  _ leering _ at her when they pause at certain points on her body. It intrigues her as to what this otherworldly being must think when she looks at her. Despite all they know now, aliens in reality are still such a big mystery to humans that any new information about them causes a ripple of excitement. The blonde then interrupts their stare-down by letting out a scoff, discerning and mocking all at once. “No,  _ she _ doesn’t.”

“ _ She _ is right here,” Lena snaps through gritted teeth as she stomps her way to stand in front of Winn, filled with a righteous fury at being spoken of in such a rude manner. 

_ However _ , one thing that Lena didn't realize was that the distance between her and the imprisoned alien afforded her the illusion of height, in that they were equal. And now that Lena is just barely a few inches away from her, it's easy to see how much taller the blonde actually is. She swallows down a nervous lump as she hears what sounds like Mr. J'onzz’s voice in her head, cursing her for her impetuous nature. 

Kara Zor-El crosses her arms, a dirty, filthy and the most  _ infuriating _ smirk on her face. She leans forward to rest her elbows against the bars of her cell. “ _ You _ don't want to know about the device,  _ you _ want to know about where it's  _ from _ .  _ You _ want to know about Argo City.”

\---

She hasn't been in this prison for very long, maybe a month or so if the etches she made on the concrete wall are anything to go by. But it’s long enough for her to get used to being without her powers. Roulette made sure that she’s kept in a dark cell with red sun lamps and so, with no yellow sun, Kara can only rely on her wits and what little real strength she does have without super powers.

Nobody really comes to visit her, apart from the guards and Roulette sometimes. Most, if not all of her family perished in the war against the World Killers and their growing army, and the rest, if there are even any left, have likely fled to places unknown to her. 

Once leaders deemed the war over, the alliance between humans and aliens resulted in a treaty. Worlds rejoiced and celebrated and Kara was left to make her own way. She was there when it ended eight years after it began, left standing alone amongst dead bodies of comrades and enemies alike, left behind and stranded by those she thought were friends, left to face the last of the World Killers’ and their army. 

\---

_ They weren't the most  _ aesthetically _ pleasing looking things, World Killers, but Rao, were they vicious and unrelenting when they wanted to be. And they really,  _ really _ wanted to be.  _

_ When Kara was recruited into the Military Guild, she never thought she’d be fighting in a war where their best allies were Earthlings and armies from other planets. Even Krypton’s sister planet, Daxam, got involved in the war which speaks to how dire circumstances had become. She doesn't know the fate for most of Krypton but she’s fighting for her home with everything that she has.  _

_ Mon-El fires his blaster in the direction of the World Killer’s soldiers, not at all watching where he shoots as he misses by too long a shot. The idiot. The true measure of a person is in how they presented themselves in a crisis situation and as Kara watches the Prince of Daxam retreat and escape the line of fire, she thinks that she really needs to choose better friends.  _

_ Though a part of her doesn't really blame him for trying to run. It's overwhelming where they are. Their leader fled long before the soldiers even advanced on them, indirectly promoting her as a result of his cowardice. Most of their soldiers perished in the previous day’s skirmish, she’s left now with barely enough to get through to midday.  _

_ Kara mutters a prayer as her blue eyes move over every face on the front lines. There's no time for a rousing speech, no time to rally the troops. If they can't rouse their own damn selves, then they're all dead in the water anyway. But still, she supposes that she needs to at least try. “Soldiers!” she yells, feeling a certain amount of pride at how they turn to her without question. “Make sure your weapons are charged. And don't get yourselves killed!” _

_ Well, it wasn't like she was recruited into the guild for her  _ oratory _ skills.  _

\---

Kara can't really tell how long she spent walking in the desert. It could have been hours, days,  _ weeks _ even. She only knows that she never stopped walking, using what was left of her powers to keep going until she found the city. She has been in survival mode since then and there have been a few moments that she isn't terribly proud of, one being getting so blasted drunk that it somehow left her stranded on Earth in this Rao-forsaken jail. 

She isn't expecting much from her visitors, a man and a woman, faces filled with curiosity that makes her skin itch with trepidation. Kara doesn't blame them for their wariness as they keep a safe distance from her cell. She must look like a frightening sight. The humidity of the prison, the endless amount of sand that gets literally  _ everywhere _ no matter how hard she tries to clean herself with what little water they give her.

She groans inwardly when her stomach rumbles. She’s so  _ hungry _ but she knows there's no way they're going to feed her just to kill her an hour later. She sneaks a glance at the guard standing by her cell, stoic and unmoving as always, then her gaze flickers back to the woman in front of her. 

The woman,  _ Lena _ , surprises her. The glare on her pretty face is almost completely gone and in its place is naked eagerness and thirst for whatever knowledge Kara apparently has. She probably doesn't even realize that she’s walking closer to the bars, close enough to touch, apparently too fascinated by the idea of something new and undiscovered to her, and most likely, to most humans. “So that’s where the signal is coming from?” she asks, tearing her eyes away from Kara. She looks deep in thought for a bare second before she turns back to her with a skeptical look on her face. “But Argo City- it's- it's a  _ wasteland _ . Nothing’s there anymore.”

She looks away as her blue eyes flash in mild fury, lightning in her chest at the reminder of what happened to Argo City. She breathes it out just as quickly.  _ There’s no time for this, Kara Zor-El, no time for this _ . Exasperated as she returns her gaze to Lena’s, she rolls her eyes. “Give it to me.”

“Gi- give _what_ to you?”

Though she smirks at the mild scandalous expression on the human’s face, Kara reminds herself once again that there isn't time for this. She can hear the roar of the crowds outside the prison. They're all waiting for her, waiting to watch her die. She sighs. “ _ Give me _ the device.” 

She reaches her hand out through the bars, barely reacting when the raven-haired woman flinches back. She gestures with impatience until Lena finally deigns to grab the device from her pack that she’s been carrying since she walked in the prison. And from one look at it in Lena’s palm, Kara doesn't even need to hold it to know why it took until now for them to see her. “Will you look at that? The communicator is live.”  

It's almost comical when the similar gobsmacked expressions appear on both their faces. Winn is beside Lena now, his eyes wide and focused, so intent on the device in her hand. He looks a little apprehensive but Kara thinks that he looks more excited than anything, as if she has just told them that it's a map that will lead them to treasure. “It’s  _ live _ ? You mean, somebody  _ activated _ it,” he barely manages to squeak out and it seems to jolt Lena out of her trance-like state. 

Her gaze narrows onto the communicator as she nods. There's a glimmer of hope that quickly makes itself known to her but Kara pushes it down for now. She can think about the implications about the device being activated later. If she even  _ has _ a lat- in that instant, Kara knows  _ exactly _ how to play this to her advantage. “From the looks of it, it’s been live for about a week. Isn't  _ this _ why you're here?”

Lena’s eyes flash with indignance at the accusation. “It most certainly is  _ not _ .”

Kara’s immediate laughter is sarcastic and she can't help but roll her eyes. The lies that these humans tell themselves. Who are they trying to fool when it's so obvious what it is they want. “Right, and I’m an Aranes,” she replies, dry as the sand that litters her skin.

“An- a what?” 

Both humans then share an unsure look, shrugging at the same time while Kara looks on incredulously. “An Aranes? Really? Are they not- They're the blue people with the things on their-,” she pauses in her gestures when both Lena and Winn don't seem to have a clue what she’s talking about so she shakes her head, waving it off with her hand. “Never mind.  _ Point _ is, you want to look for Argo City, which means  _ you’re _ looking for all the advanced technologies that Krypton is known for, a  _ treasure _ to you, I’m guessing.”

She knows that she has them when their faces light up instantly at the mention of advanced technology. Lena doesn't even hesitate when she rushes forward, her hands gripping the bars of her jail cell. “Do you know how to get there?” she asks in an excited whisper, weirdly mindful of the guard standing by. Kara doesn't think to mention that there's really no point in doing so since he’s been asleep for nearly the whole time that they've been here. 

But still, she plays along anyway. She crouches down a little so that she’s eye-level with Lena and Kara can't help but notice the pale green of her eyes. “Lady,” she whispers, pausing for dramatic effect, “I’ve been there.”

Lena pulls back with a frown on her face, a crinkle between her eyebrows. Her eyes move as if to search for something in Kara’s face, as if she hopes to find the truth on her own. “How do we know you're not lying?”

“Uh, you do realize that I’m under a red sun lamp right now, right?” she asks, pointing upwards to the lamps above her. 

And that’s when Lena deigns to look up, her eyes darting around as she seems to take in the red light that fills her cell. Kara can see easily when realization dawns on the human and she takes a little pleasure when the human splutters in shock, “You’re  _ Kryptonian _ ?” Then Lena’s back in front of her, hands gripping harder at the bars that her knuckles turn white. Her face is filled with awe and scrutiny all at the same time, as if she’s trying to study Kara a little better. 

Kara arches an eyebrow at the frenzied proximity, crossing her arms as she nods. 

“So you  _ can _ tell us how to get there?”

That's when they hear the main doors of the prison slam open with Roulette walking through them. It seems that Kara’s time is coming to an end and nobody speaks a word, listening only to the sound of footsteps, Roulette’s and her two guards, coming closer and closer. Kara exchanges an impatient look with Lena who seems to be frozen in her spot and she shrugs casually at the human. “I mean, I  _ could _ tell you but as you can see, I don't exactly have the  _ time _ to draw you a map. I’ve got to go meet my maker, as you humans say.”

When Lena doesn't say or do anything, Kara straightens up then, winces at the sound of her bones creaking. She cringes when she tries to run her fingers through her hair, giving up when her fingers get caught in too many tangles. She tries to press down the wrinkles on her shirt. Might as well make herself look presentable when she’s out there. 

It's only when her prison cell is being unlocked and Roulette’s guards come walking through that Lena finally moves, grabbing desperately at the bars. “Wait wait  _ wait _ , what can we do?”

The guards are on either side of her now, their hands wrapped tight around each arm. They're not pulling her anywhere yet which means that they're waiting for Roulette who is apparently taking her sweet time. So Kara gestures with her head for Lena to come closer as she leans down. She waits until the human is finally near enough when she makes her move and kisses her.

Lena gasps into her mouth but Kara presses on, nibbling at a soft bottom lip before tugging at it. The guards forcefully pull her back, stopping them mid-kiss. Kara only smirks for a second as Lena stares at her in shock until she’s being dragged out of her cell and she yells to the rafters, “Get me out of here!”

**Author's Note:**

> Come find me @maybewritingthings


End file.
